Eight gun plot thugs have been found guilty of a UK-wide conspiracy which saw a firearm blasted at a Tyneside home.
Paul Momat and right-hand man Joseph Millward initiated the plan in a bid to “lay down a warning” to a rival. They enlisted the help of London-based criminal Colin Crawley and associate James Townsend to be the architects of the daylight shooting, with Caspian Bhinder tasked with being the middle man.
Following weeks of planning by the co-conspirators, two men – shooter Stefan Simpson along with Ashlee McKenzie – travelled 300 miles from London to the North East to carry out the offence in South Shields.
Read more: Romanian organised crime group targeted North East stores in £150,000 'phone steaming' plot
They executed their plan on the afternoon of September 16, 2021, on the town's Heaton Gardens, with Simpson discharging a handgun at an address just moments after the victim had stepped outside of his front door. The sophisticated plot saw Simpson and McKenzie given access to accommodation in Gateshead as well as use of a stolen car which was arranged by Tyran Baglin.
As part of a complex investigation, detectives pored through hundreds of hours of CCTV footage which showed the suspects’ movements, as well as thousands of calls and encrypted messages sent between the defendants.
Police went on to identify the address on Rayleigh Grove, in Gateshead, where Simpson and McKenzie had stayed in the hours before the attack. Inside they found a set of car keys that had been concealed behind the television.
The keys opened a stolen VW car that had been discarded on a nearby street, which they had used during the offence. Upon searching the vehicle, officers also located the handgun that had been stashed inside the glove box.
In the weeks following the shooting, as a result of extensive enquiries, Northumbria Police supported by the Metropolitan Police carried out a series of dawn raids across South Tyneside and London with a number of suspects arrested.
Telephones, weapons and cash were also seized from various addresses, including £30,000 from Crawley’s home and £6,000 from an address associated to Momat.
Last year, four of the men – Millward, Crawley, Bhinder and Baglin – all admitted being part of a conspiracy to possess a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence when they appeared before Newcastle Crown Court. The remaining four – Momat, Townsend, Simpson and McKenzie – all denied their involvement but were today found guilty by a jury following a 10-week trial at the same court. A ninth man was cleared of any involvement by the jury.
Detective Superintendent Jane Fairlamb, of Northumbria Police, led the investigation into the shooting and welcomed the convictions. She said: “This was an appalling shooting that happened on a residential street.
“The incident on Heaton Gardens was the culmination of weeks of careful planning by the co-conspirators, with each defendant trusted to play their part in its execution.
“While nobody was ultimately hurt in this incident, it is clear that this type of behaviour is totally unacceptable and today’s outcome should send a strong message to everyone – we will not tolerate serious violence on our streets.
“I am pleased that eight co-conspirators have now been convicted at court, and this has only been possible thanks to some outstanding teamwork between Northumbria Police, Metropolitan Police, Thames Valley Police, North East Regional Organised Crime Unit (NEROCU) and our criminal justice partners.
“I would like to thank everyone who played their part in this case. While incidents involving firearms are rare in our Force, when they do occur, we are prepared to use every single tactic at our disposal to deliver effective justice against those involved.
“Under the banner of Operation Sentinel, we will continue to take swift and robust action against anybody involved in serious and violent crime.”
The men convicted are:
- Paul Momat, 36, of Owen Drive, West Boldon, found guilty of conspiracy to possess a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence
- Joseph Millward, 29, of Davy Close, Hebburn, admitted conspiracy to possess firearm with intent to cause fear of violence
- Colin Crawley, 46, of Woodall Court, Croydon, admitted conspiracy to possess firearm with intent to cause fear of violence
- James Townsend, 45, of Hawksmoor Road, Oxford, found guilty of conspiracy to possess a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence
- Caspian Bhinder, 33, of Babbington Road, Streatham, admitted conspiracy to possess firearm with intent to cause fear of violence
- Stefan Simpson, 24, of St Matthew’s Road, London, found guilty of conspiracy to possess firearm with intent to cause fear of violence
- Ashlee McKenzie, 33, of Wandsworth Road, Lambeth, found guilty of conspiracy to possess firearm with intent to cause fear of violence
- Tyran Baglin, 24, of no fixed abode, admitted conspiracy to possess firearm with intent to cause fear of violence
All eight men have been remanded in custody and are due to be sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court from March 16.
Lynsey Colling, Head of the Complex Casework Unit at CPS North East, said “During this incident a firearm was discharged in the middle of the day on a busy residential street. Whilst nobody was injured, their actions endangered the safety of other residents.
“Following an excellent investigation by Northumbria Police, the Crown Prosecution Service has used significant evidence to build a robust case against these men. Phone records from seized devices showed a flurry of communications between members of the group immediately before and after the shooting. CCTV footage of the shooting itself was also shared between them in the days following the attack, adding weight to the prosecution case that their efforts were co-ordinated and each of these men was a willing participant.
“We welcome the convictions against these men, who paid little regard for the safety of the public in carrying out this attack. Crimes involving guns will never be tolerated, and we will continue to work closely with our police partners to bring anyone endangering the public to justice.“
Read next:
- Grandad joked of being 'done for baby snatching' during sex chat with 'child'
- Raging Gateshead thug left DJ with brain injury for kissing his former girlfriend's hand
- Byker drug dealer said she was selling cocaine in Newcastle city centre to buy new curtains
- Bedlington man set fire to girlfriend's clothes after falsely accusing her of being in porn video
- Gateshead murderer 'Billy the Bump' who went on to rape girl jailed for 27 years
